804/Plans for the Worst

Plans for the Worst
Date of Scene:	24 November 2023
Location:	Dorms #1
Synopsis:	After finding out about Soul Gems containing Souls, Madoka pays Homura a visit to check up on her. What happens is a conversation with a lot of subtext, and a lot of advice for Madoka going forward. Gretchen is once again awake, and staying with Homura, though Brai and Medo still sleep in their eggs. Picking up their slack, a new Chara is born by the name of Lydian!
Cast of Characters:	Madoka Kaname, Homura Akemi

---

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Gretchen has been living with Homura for quite a while, but every so often she wanders off by her own. This is to be expected, as she's not only a Chara but an X-Chara. She is generally safe as like most fairy mascot's she's invisible to most, and if she needs to hide from a magical she has an answer for that too. She's probably been open about the fact that she needs to bug Madoka once in a while, and at one point she came home frustrated because of a weird emu monster, but she doesn't always explain herself. Gretchen being absent is, in of itself, not weird.

    It's weird that she's been out this long, though.

    At one point within the last couple of days, Madoka sent Homura a text.

> Something's wrong with Gretchen. I'm keeping her with me for the moment.

>Also... I think we should talk. Mind if I come over after school?

    Madoka was tempted to leave this conversation for a weekend, but she couldn't stand waiting that long. She was restless, worried, her three eggs had gone into slumber and a fourth one had shown up. There was also the fact regarding what Kyubey said about Soul Gems, and what they really contained. All of that was true about Homura too, wasn't it? Did... Homura know? Did Gretchen know?

    Thus it is that Madoka shows up at the door to Homura's room, knocking to announce her presence. She waits patiently for an answer, only fidgeting slightly with her school bag that now contains four Heart's Eggs. Her pink eyes dart around, looking for any friendly face to latch onto. She's in her school uniform still, not having had time to change.

    There aren't that many who can really understand what Madoka is going through, and Homura knows more than most.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura didn't pester Gretchen too much about where she might be going except to say that she'd lend an ear if one was wanted. In return Homura mostly received the same treatment, though it wasn't often the Puella specifically excluded the Chara from her excursions. Sometimes it just worked out that way, though.

    When there's an extended absence she does notice, though, and is wondering what might be happening. Not the the point of serious worry or panic yet, though, or she surely would have contacted Madoka about it. Before she gets that far, Madoka contacts her first.

    > Okay. Let me know if there's anything I can do.

    > You're always welcome. Amy will be happy to see you. I'll make tea.

    True to her word when Madoka knocks on the door to her dorm Homura is quick to open it up, and the faint scent of green tea can be noticed in the room. "Please, come in," she offers, opening the door wider and stepping to the side. Her tone is polite, and Madoka can probably see that the central console in the center of her dorm is being used as a table, and a pair of smaller chairs has been moved up to it on either side.

    She shuts the door behind Madoka when she enters, locking it as well, before walking to the console and sitting down, pouring herself a cup of tea and readying to pour one for Madoka as well, unless she's waved off. Trying to be a good hostess it seems, though there's a distinct lack of fine pastries that might accompany a trip to Mami's.

    "You look worried. Something must have been on your mind for a while." It's as much an invitation to speak as she can make without directly asking what's wrong.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    When Madoka first sees Homura's face, she offers her hostess a soft smile, and then comes in as quickly as she enters. She is grateful to be in a quiet place for once, with someone she feels reasonably safe around. A heavy sigh comes out of her once the door is closed, and she goes to sit by the side of the console.

    The tea is a nice gesture, and the pastries aren't an expectation. Mami can socialize that way if she wants to, because that's her style, but it doesn't have to be Homura's. Madoka gives Homura a smile as the tea is poured, and she takes it into her hands to blow on it once before sipping.

    When she sets the teacup down on the table, she starts to talk. "A lot has been happening lately. Gretchen-chan told me some...' Madoka glances to Homura, and then glances away, "... things about... my dreams. Her memories." How to say this in such a way that her friend gets the hint, but no one else would? "I have theories as to why Brai wears braids, but... that's not the big issue right now."

    Opening her book bag, Madoka pulls out a protective case that she's been keeping her Hearts Eggs in. One by one she pulls them out, three of them looking exactly the same with the pink and frilly white pattern, and the fourth one standing out by being black with a white X on it. The X-Egg, Gretchen's, has a strange glowing aura to it.

    "I gained the ability to henshin fully the other day. When I do, one of my Chara turns into an egg and merges with my heart, and that lets me use her power fully. For Brai and Medo, doing this results in Hope Blossom. It's... a form you might recognize," she explains, hesitating before really getting into the issue. "Normally I avoid using Gretchen's power directly, but the other day I was in a situation where I felt it became necessary to ask for her help. The result was... a very strange form. I made a Labyrinth and trapped a Familiar. Ever since then..."

    Madoka taps on Gretchen's Egg, "She's been asleep ever since, along with..." She taps on the next egg, "... Brai and..." then a third, "... Medo." When she taps on the fourth egg, she says, "I haven't met this one yet. I think I messed something up when I henshined with Gretchen. I don't regret it. I think I saved lives by doing what I did, but I also think she was right to be worried."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Tea is nice and Homura takes a small sip of her own as Madoka speaks. Her expression is impassive, as it usually is when she isn't expressly making an effort to look otherwise. She's watching Madoka as she speaks to be a polite listener, though when braids are mentioned her gaze goes down to the surface of the tea in her cup, her eyes lidding a little more than usual as she examines her reflection in the liquid.

    The tea is sipped one more time and set back down as the book bag is opened. The fourth egg comes as a surprise to Homura. She hadn't known all that much about what to expect when her friend became a Chara Bearer, but seeing four eggs gives her the impression that something about Madoka's experience might not be very normal for the type.

    "Pink, white and yellow, with plenty of bows and even more petticoats?" Homura rhetorically asks, when the recognizable form is mentioned. Really there's every chance Madoka had drawn the outfit somewhere already before her first transformation, but from what Madoka is saying the time traveler is getting the impression the pinkette has started to figure out how and why she'd know the outfit so well.

    She doesn't interrupt much more, though she looks curious at the idea of a magical girl, especially one that isn't a Puella Magi, creating a Labyrinth. Maybe not too surprising, since Gretchen could do similar things, but notable nonetheless.

    When the story is over Homura considers for a moment and then speaks. "Gretchen had said there were fundamental misunderstandings between the two of you that led to her becoming an X-Chara." Not exact wording, but close to how Homura interpreted the words. "Taking on more of her power, or perhaps all of it, while still having that conflict between yourselves is something I can see causing internal strife and division. A wavering heart or sense of self, or not believing in oneself is something I've seen cause magical girls and boys to become shut off from their powers in the past."

    She takes a closer look at the X-Egg and thinks out loud, "Since Gretchen still seems to be an X-Chara, suspect either you do not fully accept what she is, or she does not fully accept what you are. ...or perhaps one of you doesn't accept yourself," she adds after a moment. "After forcing a connection under those conditions, I can start to understand why Gretchen would be in this condition. The others might be more difficult to explain, unless they're perhaps unsure about Gretchen themselves." She gives Madoka a curious look, "Have you ever asked Brai or Medo their feelings about Gretchen?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka nods when Homura describes the outfit. Of course she'd have seen those drawings at school, as those seem to be a constant across timelines, but... they both know the real reason. Even if neither of them say it.

    "We had, at first. She felt like I was too down on myself. However, as I gained experience as a magical girl I gained more confidence, and the negative self-talk went away. I think that's why she started growing closer to me. Though..." Madoka cradles the darkly glowing X-Egg in her hand. The glow, notably, is a new detail. "... those divisions might have started the problem, but fixing them alone wont change her back. Once the darkness creeps in, the Heart's Egg needs to be purified. I'd need to take her to Hotori-san for that, but... if I do... she still might not wake up. Whatever Easter does to these Chara Eggs, it often causes them to hatch early. If she got purified, it might be a long time before I saw her again. Long enough for the dream to finish fully forming."

    Rubbing her thumb affectionately across the white X, Madoka notes, "Still... she'd be healthy again. It might be for the best. If she's not going to wake up anyways..."

    Setting the X-Egg down, Madoka picks up Brai's egg. All of the non-Gretchen eggs look exactly the same, but Madoka knows which is which. "Brai and Medo never talked about Gretchen that much. Brai was too focused on other things. Do the next training exercise, fight the Witch, keep the Pure Heart Crystal away from Obsidian. Her mind was always on the mission. Medo saw Gretchen as someone with an illness that needed to be cured. She never really took what Gretchen said too personally, as in Medo's mind she wasn't herself. I... actually don't know what Gretchen thought about my Chara, but I always felt like she was entrusting them to do what she could not."

    Madoka sits there in quiet contemplation, when suddenly the fourth egg starts shaking. "The problem is with you!" protested a tiny little voice from within. "We're Heart's Eggs! It's your heart that's the problem!"

    Madoka's attention is fully on her new egg now. Is it going to hatch soon?

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura studies the glow as she takes a closer look at the egg. Maybe there's something she can puzzle out about it. Does it seem like Witch energy, or something else she might recognize? Maybe or maybe not, but she's checking just in case. "It sounds difficult," Homura comments, "to have manifestations of your dreams, but to have them incomplete. If Gretchen was forced to hatch early, she could be formed out of a dream you don't even realize you'll want yet. It might be difficult to get fully in touch with your own heart if it's responding to things you aren't aware of yet."

    She's stepping around the fact she hasn't officially talked to Madoka about time travel yet. Madoka doesn't have anything close to a full picture of any of the past iterations of herself, or the terrifying truths she'd learned in those timelines. She's well aware that Gretchen has powers relating to Witches. It occurs to Homura that it might not ever be possible for Madoka to accept Gretchen fully without knowing the truth about what Witches are and where they come from. In this she knows Madoka's heart better than the other girl knows it herself. How can Madoka want to help the poor girls who became Witches without knowing that they did in the first place? It'd put Gretchen in a bit of a bind if that's the dream that spawned her. And that's only a single guess among so many possibilities.

    Of course, an unhatched Chara has to go and just say out loud part of what Homura was thinking. Whether it was Gretchen or Madoka that took issue with themselves or each other, it was all Madoka's introspection, in the end. Not wanting to be unhelpful she looks towards the unhatched egg and asks. "I'm the one with the heart condition. Do you have a name?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    It's not Witch Energy, though at times it seems like it wants to imitate that. It's fairly standard Dark Energy that's been infused with the X-Egg from the start, but it has never been this strong before. Gretchen, being a part of Madoka, is at her heart still a good girl who doesn't entertain or nurture evil thoughts. Brai, during her short corruption arc, may have fallen victim to this darkness, but she didn't have the experience or knowledge that Gretchen was born with.

    If Homura has ever dealt with Easter Corp. in her various timelines, she has certainly seen this energy before. There's an Easter employee posing as a teacher, Nikaido-sensei, who is a likely culprit. However, it's a big company and he's one salaryman out of many.

    The speculation about Gretchen's nature causes Madoka to think. Could the X-Chara have been born out of a time paradox? Now that time travel is a suspect, it's not impossible for a future self to be influencing the present...

    No, that wouldn't quite be it. It wouldn't be a future self, but a past timeline. Madoka has no idea what those other versions of her were thinking or what they went through. Gretchen showed her a lot, but hid from her so much more.

    "It's possible," thinks Madoka out loud, resting her chin on her hand. "She did keep a lot of secrets from me." She takes a sip from her tea as she considers, and then sets it down.

    The fourth egg cracks open slightly, and a pair of small pink eyes peek out and look at Homura. Then, the tiny Chara turns to look at her Bearer, before pushing the top half of her egg out and revealing herself. It is, predictably, a minidoka. Her hair is in a long loose-braided ponytail, and her outfit has splashes of paint on it.

    The outfit, mind, is also the same henshin outfit. Another place where a non-time traveler might have seen it before. Plausible deniability ensured. Only thing missing is the Soul Gem, though some might prefer it that way.

    "Hii~ Doka-chan! Homu-chan!" she declares while flailing her arms happily at each in turn. "My name's Lydian!" She's all smiles at first, but then she crosses her arms to look at Madoka. "Madoka-chan, when was the last time you relaxed? You've been training yourself as hard as you can, and pushing yourself to fight monsters well out of your league. Not only that, but you've also been under a lot of stress because of... well..." Lydian turns towards Homura for a moment, and then at her soul gem ring. "... ginding out what you did the other day. Training day and night might teach you a few tricks, but it's not the same as building muscle. The strength of your magic depends upon the state of your heart! No amount of practice will change that."

    Madoka studies the new Chara, and then looks at Homura. "Eheh... Well... she's not wrong. She's not the first to tell me I'm overdoing it, either." The Bearer leans forward to fingerpet the new Chara on the head and says, in a singsong voice, "Nice to meet you, Lydian-chan!"

Homura Akemi has posed:
    It's not Witch Energy at all, yet Homura still wonders. An excess of dark energy in a henshin device is, in a way, something she's familiar with. So without thinking too much about it she retrieves a grief seed from her pocket and brings it over to the edge of the dark Egg with it's big X and taps it lightly.

    As she expected there's no cleansing effect and she slips the grief seed back into her pocket. "I had to try something," she notes to Madoka before quietly saying to the egg, "I hope you're doing okay in there. Your house will be waiting for you if you ever want to come back."

    Because of course Homura is going to make sure the Chara was comfortable while living with her. Amy has a very nice kitty bed and the run of the dorm as well.

    Homura nods, looking slightly abashed at the mention of secrets. "Secrets are a burden, as I've said before. It's difficult enough for me trying to know when is the right time to speak. It must be even harder for Gretchen, knowing the heart of her Bearer that will be burdened with the knowledge." She takes another sip of her tea, just in time for the fourth egg to decide it's time to hatch. The cup is set down as quickly as it was lifted, and the dark haired Puella leans forward to look at Lydian as she tosses off the top of her shell.

    Purple eyes blink a few times. Is that... little paint splotches? That's just too precious. "Hello, Lydian-chan." Homura replies in a soft tone before withdrawing a little. She turns her gaze to Madoka, and the other girl might notice the expression in her eyes is softer than normal, "I'm afraid she's right. You might not be a Puella Magi that needs to be very careful about watching your mental state, but nurturing the better side of yourself might be just is crucial to coming into your power as training. Your kindness and unending hope always was your greatest asset."

    'Even if it was also your greatest downfall,' she thinks to herself. There's no reason to say that now that Madoka is free from the dangers and temptations of Kyubey's wishes.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Gretchen's X-Egg wiggles when tapped. "The sign says we're closed!" shouts the tiny X-Chara. When she hears Homura's voice, the egg cracks open and a tiny pair of pink eyes peeks out and looks at the Puella Magi for a moment. Then the egg closes and goes still for a moment. There's a quiet, "S-sorry" from within the egg before it goes quiet again.

    Madoka glances at the X-Egg, and then at Homura. This is the first noise that Gretchen has made since Hope Witch. Why would the part of her who knows so much hold this girl so dearly? The pinkette's head cants to the side as she considers her purple eyed friend. She's always thought highly of this Puella in particular, but that's not the same. It's one thing to think she's cool and cute. It's something else entirely to want to live with her.

    "I don't mind secrets," says Madoka. "Even if they put me in awkward positions sometimes. I don't really mind being kept in the dark either, if Gretchen-chan thinks its necessary. Still, if it's really important, I hope we can talk about it some day."

    Lydian, the new Chara, crosses her arms and nods emphatically as Homura agrees with her, and Madoka starts to get embarrassed. "That's right! You wont die if our eggs turn black or get damaged, but you've been locked out of your magic for the past few days haven't you? It's because you're exhausted."

    Madoka looks down and away, "But... Gretchen-chan showed me that Witch. Shouldn't I be getting ready to face that?" That is, after all, what has been driving Madoka so hard. The dreams that she's been having, and the realization that they weren't just fantasies. The Chara Bearer has had many such dreams about the Stage Witch, and a great many of them end in her death.

    Of course, that's the abridged version. Gretchen hasn't been sharing the ones that involve Madoka turning into a Witch.

    "I guess... wearing myself out wouldn't really help me fight a powerful monster, would it?" She scratches the back of her head. "So... if I rest, will that bring my Chara back?"

    Lydian scratches her tiny chin and looks at the other three eggs. "Well... it's not as simple as resting. Taking a nap wont make them wake up. You'll have to nurture your dreams." Lydian points to Brai's egg, "Keep being the hero you see in others," Next, she points to Medo. "Keep trying to help those who need it." Then, she points to Gretchen, " keep trying to be your best self, and..." Lydian twirls in the air, referring to herself. "Don't be afraid to express yourself!"

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura gives Gretchen a small smile when she peeks out, letting her know without words that she isn't upset at her. Whatever reasons she has for staying in her egg, Homura is sure they're good ones. For a tiny henshin enabling mascot she tends to take important things seriously.

    "We will. It might not need to wait that much longer, but when we talk it'll have to be somewhere private." She's sure Madoka will pick up on her meaning. Somewhere in timestop. And probably somewhere those other girls immune to her timestop won't know to look for her.

    As Madoka mentions Gretchen having shown her a Witch and needing to prepare Homura knows which one is meant. "That Witch is powerful, but as terrifying as her power is she isn't the biggest threat to this world. There are threats that can destroy or consume all life if left unchecked. She's been the demon on my back weighing me down for a very long time, but once I realized the best way to fight her is to gather allies I haven't had to worry as much as before. It's not an impossible fight. With your powers you have now, and more importantly your natural charisma that allows you to make friends faster than I could ever hope to do myself, I think we have a very good chance of succeeding."

    After another moment's pause she flips her hair, "I'm not worried about winning anymore. I'm worried about the cost of victory. The one good thing about that Witch; she doesn't sneak up on a city before she attacks. She likes to put on a show, so we'll have plenty of time to prepare when she decides to show her face. She will attack Tokyo, I'm sure of it. But we still have some time."

    She looks to Lydian, then the closed eggs, "Your passion is admirable Madoka, but I would take the advice of those that know your heart better than anyone else. You need rest. It's something even body builders have to contend with. You can work as hard as you like, but it's when you rest that your body heals itself and grows stronger." Puella Magi can cheat. Homura can burn magic to force her body to work even when it gets tired, and if she starts to run out of magic she can just burn a grief seed to replenish it. It's one of their greatest strengths if they can manage to fight through the pain, and they have an advantage there as well.

    "If your not willing to completely rest, maybe you could take a quiet shift at the hospital," she briefly turns her eyes towards Lydian, "maybe teach some of the younger patients to paint or draw. It'll help and for you I'm sure it'd be relaxing as well." A soft sigh, concealing a minor self admonishment, "If you'd like, we could go do something as well. Watch a movie. Maybe go ice skating? It's cold enough, so the rinks might be open." She hasn't checked to see if any ponds have frozen over. Probably not; it's not that late in the year.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka nods as Homura seems to understand what she's alluding to. A timestop would do. A personal Labyrinth comes to Madoka's mind, but those are invadable, and the cost of making the last one was... high. Timestop is the ideal choice, and will probably remain that way.

    Madoka listens as Homura says what she knows about That Witch, or at least what the ideal strategy is. Others speak of the Stage Witch in hushed towns, fearful of such a legendary monster, but three of the people in this room have seen it die: Homura, Gretchen, and in turn Madoka. "Right... it's the cost that's the issue. I will say one thing. If I can reach a state where I can use Gretchen's power again, I intend to trap that Witch inside a Labyrinth. I'm not going to let it use our homes as its weapons, and I wont let it escape to destroy some other town, either. I don't know what it will do when it realizes it's trapped, though."

    Madoka's hand moves to cradle Gretchen's Egg in her palm, rubbing her thumb against the side. She sighs, and gives the egg a look of tired worry. "It's not that simple though, is it?"

    Lydian flies in front of Madoka and shakes her head. "No! It's that kind of thinking that put you in this mess! It's all well and good to have a plan, but sacrificing yourself is not an answer! Take care of yourself, and of your friends." The tiny Chara points to Homura and says, "Listen to her! She didn't get to where she is without knowing what she's talking about."

    Madoka gives Lydian a look, and then a sheepish grin. Turning her gaze to Homura she says, "Well... I mean... I'd love to do something with you, Homura-chan. It doesn't matter if its a movie or skating or whatever. I've..." she glances off to the side, a little embarrassed at the hidden context of her words, "... always enjoyed the time we spend together, Homura-chan."

    Madoka doesn't know if the ponds are frozen, either. That's not where her mind has been. "I... guess I could try that. It's hard for me to sit idly by knowing that there are Witches out there, but... It's not like I'm the only one who can fight them."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    What would happen if Walpurgisnacht was trapped inside a Labyrinth? "At a guess, it would attempt to overwrite whatever Labyrinth you created with it's own. It doesn't need one and chooses not to use one, but it most certainly can use one if it feels the need. I would expect there would be quite a struggle to maintain yours, and a war between familiars. Most likely her more dangerous familiars would make you their focus."

    It's only a guess, but it's an educated one. Though she isn't saying as much here she's fought Walpurgis enough times to know it has a lot of tricks hidden up it's large sleeves. Even when on the back foot it will surprise you, so being ready for anything is important when fighting her.

    "It's important not to focus too much on any one problem, too. I used to have that problem, and even if I thought I'd solved it I'd get blindsided by something I wasn't expecting because I hadn't been paying attention. That Witch is a threat, but trust that I've been preparing for her eventual arrival. Even if she does somehow catch everyone else by surprise, I'll be ready. As long as enough people show up to help when the time comes we'll prevail." She can say that now with confidence, but Homura knows that as the clock ticks down and the time comes closer her own apprehension will rise.

    "I've enjoyed our time together too," the purple eyed Puella replies. "You're good company."

    Somewhat reticent to return to the topic of fighting she stares down into tea. "It's also not your place to fight all the Witches. It's mine, and the other Puella Magi. I'm not a fool to say you shouldn't try to help, but you needn't make it your personal crusade to fight Witches in particular. There are other dangers around as well, and by bearing Guardian Characters there's likely some force or another you're particularly attuned to combatting."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Could the Stage Witch use her own Labyrinth? Probably. The lack of one seemed like an advantage to Madoka, considering how it uses the terrain, but the idea of Walpurgisnacht's world mixing with Madoka's own... How would Madoka's own Familiars match up against the Witch's? She really has no idea...

    "I didn't think of that," admits Madoka. "Just because she doesn't need one... of course she'd be able to use one. We've already seen at least one instance of two Witches fighting." That isn't something Madoka is likely to forget.

    Not focusing on any one problem, though... that catches the Chara Bearer off guard. Is she... hyperfocusing on one thing? It's true that Homura has experience fighting this Witch... "You... have a point. I've met a few other Chara Bearers. They're standing against Easter Corp, who create X-Eggs and use them for their own purposes. The corruption aspect, in any case. Though... even that line leads back to Witches."

    Madoka recalls some of the things said about mazes and abominations, and Ikuto's reasons for leaving. "I think they might be trying to do what Gretchen has done. Imitating Witches with Chara magic. I still don't know how she's managed to do all of that. It's one of her secrets. Easter is part of Obsidian, though. I have no idea how that would turn out, or what they hope to gain from it."

    Of course, if Homura has ever, in timestop, asked Gretchen about her strange powers, the X-Chara would have simply pointed out that she remembers being a Witch, too. That's not something she'd hide from Homura, even if it might make the Puella Magi sad.

    Madoka fidgets with Gretchen's glowing egg a bit, before asking, "Speaking of them... Gretchen-chan... since I know you can hear me, what do you think about being purified? You were fine before, but it's gotten worse. Would you be okay with that, if it meant you had to sleep a bit longer?"

    The tiny black egg wiggles again. "No dark-infused thing ever thinks its time to get purified. Use your own judgment!"

    Madoka frowns, and rests her chin on her other hand, while rubbing the white X with her thumb. Her motion is both affectionate and... contemplative.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "I've crossed them a few times, but never directly or for very long. The fact that they're a part of Obsidian means it's dangerous to get on their case too much or the rest of the organization might notice and I don't think anyone is ready for open warfare on that scale yet." She considers how X-Chara and Witches might be similar, and she does have some ideas. After all, the hope of a wish falling to despair is potentially a similar mechanism to turning a childhood dream into something bad. That's not something Homura can tell Madoka though, at least not right now.

    "I'm not sure that's true," Homura replies to Gretchen's words. "There are people who get infused with Dark Energy and eventually realize that it's not the path for them. They might still resist purification if they think there's more they can do by acting as an infiltrator, and then welcome it when they've done all they can. It could be different for X-Chara, though."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Homura, whom Gretchen actually listens to, speaks and the X-Chara grows quiet for a moment. There's a moment of silence before the X-Egg opens and Gretchen comes out. As she rises from the bottom half of her egg, a tiny stuffed plushie in her arms, it becomes clear that she radiates the same darkness that her egg has. She looks at Madoka, and then at Homura. "I don't know. There might be uses in having me in this state. I just... I don't think that I should henshin with Madoka-chan again, and I don't think I should Chara Change with her, either. Any magic I do to her will negatively affect her."

    Something that Gretchen says makes Madoka blink, but she keeps it to herself. Gretchen goes on, hovering over the console table, the ribbons of her black dress waving as if caught in a wind current that doesn't exist. "I don't think that what I'm going through is really... healthy. I'm not sure that just anything could really purify me, either. Maybe that lock that Hotori-san had is specialized enough to do it."

    The tiny X-Chara scratches her chin and tilts her head, wondering out loud, "Infiltration, though. I hadn't considered that. Easter would probably find me very interesting."

    Madoka frowns at Gretchen. She crosses her arms. She's a little mad that Gretchen responded better to Homura and yet kept giving her own Bearer the silent treatment, but at the same time... she can't maintain that frown for long.

    "Gretchen... I don't think you've ever called me 'Madoka-chan' before."

    The X-Chara suddenly gets shy, and then turns to face her Bearer. "S-so what!" Grumpily, she pulls down her mask.

    Madoka glances off to the side. She remember something else, part of the reason why she came here. "By the way... we found out something the other day. I was out hunting with some of the other Puella Magi, and... well..." her hand goes over her chest, hovering over where her heart would be. "... we found out what the Soul Gem... really contains. You... probably already know that, but... I don't know, I... wanted to check up on you after hearing that. To ask if you were okay."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "I don't know enough about Guardian Characters to say how different you'll be if you're purified, Gretchen. As far as people being corrupted with dark energy goes, I think you're about as stable as it gets. You still care about what's important to you, and your reasoning remains sound even if you get upset. That's understandable for anyone, especially someone afflicted with dark energy." She shifts her tea around so it swirls slowly in the cup. "Even so, you're probably right about remaining as you are being unhealthy in the long term. Dark energy isn't inherently bad, but the temptation of it might be impossible to hold off forever."

    She gets up and walks over to one of the small storage units under one of her chairs, retrieving a pair of very small teacups, continuing to talk as she walks and returns. "Infiltration of Easter is likely out of the question. Had you gone immediately I think it might have worked. The most successful infiltrations I've seen is when people are awakened to dark energy and made to join one of Obsidian's various splinters, only to find themselves again before full purification. As you are now they would likely suspect your motivations and try to run tests on you. I wouldn't want to see that."

    Having returned to the console being used as a table she very carefully pours tea into chara-sized teacups, pushing one towards Gretchen and the other towards Lydia.

    Then, at hearing Madoka learned the nature of Soul Gems she closes her eyes, taking in a breath and letting it out again. She holds out her hand, the ring changing into shimmering energy and morphing into a small egg shaped jewel, which she sets on the table. "This is something I've had to deal with for a very long time now. It's not something that bothers me anymore. If anything I'm grateful for the benefits I get from the arrangement. It's hard to say how many times I might have died were I not carrying my Soul Gem behind my shield in battle."

    One of her fingers circles the rim of her teacup, the remaining contents having gone cold. "It's one more thing that may or may not be a bad thing, but that the girls Kyubey contracts with should have the right to decide upon for themselves. As it is very few get the chance to know what they're getting themselves into before making a Wish. Kyubey probably thinks us foolish, given he openly tells us they're called 'Soul Gems'. It just goes to show how naive his usual targets are."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Gretchen... actually calms a bit at Homura's reassuring words. When she first went up to the purple-eyed Puella, the X-Chara doubted her own sanity and even said as much. Over time that's actually gone away, as she's sorted out her own mind and her own memories. "I guess you're right... In a way, I'm less like a standard youma and more something like Hematite or Riventon. Not... in terms of raw power but in nature. If other darkness users can still be nice, maybe I can too... but... on the subject of temptation..." Gretchen turns back to Madoka, crossing her arms. "... isn't that what you're doing when you use me? Giving into the temptation to use darkness?"

    Madoka turns pale. She stammers, "I... but... I needed to. People would've died... Is that really the same as giving into greed or power lust? I mean..."

    "No, it's not the same," says the X-Chara, "If it were in your nature to seek power for its own sake our situation would be a lot different, but fear can also be a dangerous emotion for those like me. When you merged with me, you were terrified."

    The conversation about Easter makes sense. This is why Madoka and Gretchen turn to Homura. She is, by all rights, a veteran. They know that better than anyone. The X-Chara begrudgingly admits, "You have a point... scratch that idea then. Obsidian probably wouldn't trust a Witch anyways."

    Gretchen looks down at the tiny tea cup, and hovers down to sip from it. Lydian, who has been quietly listening this whole time, lounging around in the air with her arms behind her head, sits down to join her fellow Chara for tea. Madoka picks up her own cup and, realizes that she's let it get cold, too. The Bearer sheepishly smiles at Homura and says, "I guess... we've been distracted."

    Homura's take on the Soul Gem situation is... reassuring, to say the least. Rather, it's reassuring that Homura doesn't seem too bothered by it. "It's something I would've liked to know, but also... at the same time, I wouldn't want rival Puella knowing where my weak spot is. It's terrible to think that someone might die because they didn't know they should protect their henshin device, but it probably happens pretty often."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "Knowing Madoka she'd reach for the power she thought could save people regardless of whether it contained darkness or not," Homura says to Gretchen. "That isn't the same as reaching for dark power, either." It seems the two had already established that, but it's a slightly different take.

    When Madoka being afraid when transforming with Gretchen, Homura's eyes move between the two. "This is a very different situation from what I've encountered before. It sounds like Madoka's emotions can have a large impact on her Guardian Characters when she transforms with you. Since Gretchen is an X-Chara, those negative emotions have harmed her. Does that mean if she was able to transform with a healthy, healed heart while not afraid, but instead filled with hope that she might be able to undo some of that harm?" She looks at the Chara again, and the dark energy that so clearly surrounds her. "Either way, I think Lydian's suggestion of taking time off to try and relax and calm down is even more important."

    Rather than worrying about her tea being cold Homura lifts the pot and pours more tea into her cup. She'll offer to warm Madoka's tea as well, then set the pot back down before taking a larger sip of the drink than she had been before.

    "Yes. When Puella Magi come to blows, veterans who know the truth behind Soul Gems have massive advantages over those that don't. Not only is it easier to kill their opponent, you can fight a lot more openly realizing you won't kill them if you can avoid it. Those that fight unfettered often fare much better than those that hold back. If you ever have to fight a Puella Magi, remember that. There's no amount of damage you can cause that they can't repair if their Soul Gem is intact and they have the magic to spare. If you have to run, you can even shoot off their legs if you have to, as terrible as it sounds. If they don't know the truth they might hate you for it, but you'll have spared their lives." Tricks like that won't work against fast regenerators like Sayaka, but if Madoka knows the truth there's no reason not to let her know the possible advantages she can gain from them.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    The X-Chara's words are rebuffed. "Well... maybe my own corruption is clouding my mind. While it's true that I have darkness within me, that's not what Madoka wants. The part of my power she calls on is the part that belongs to her. I wouldn't withhold it if I thought that it was good for her."

    Lydian chimes in with a less dark-tainted take, explaining things that many Chara know by nature. "When a Bearer undergoes a Chara Transformation, she uses 110% of our power! However, Madoka-chan's Chara have one unique property. We work best with her when her feelings 'in sync' with our nature in some way. For example, Brai represents not just heroism but specifically the competence that comes with being a veteran. So when Madoka is practicing or strategizing, she wants to henshin with Brai. Gretchen, on the other hand... Well..." Lydian trails off. "Actually... you don't make a lot of sense to me..."

    Gretchen hesitates before answering. "If I were to say it, the struggle against despair is my nature. To resist it, to work against things that cause it, and to never cave. Like Homu-chan said, hope and kindness are our Bearer's strong suit. I suppose a version of her that couldn't see hope would still carry a version of that with her."

    Lydian is leaning forward and looking closely at Gretchen. Apparently she has no fear of the X-Chara or her aura. "Yeah but... what does that have to do with..." She trails off, and decides that her question is better left unanswered. "... never mind."

    Madoka considers for a moment Homura's suggestion in light of the words of her Chara. "I suppose that makes sense. I... never really felt like I was bringing out Gretchen's full potential in that fight. Come to think of it, I never really got a chance to attack directly. Maybe it's because I was panicked instead of hopeful."

    Madoka smiles at Homura and accepts the warmer tea, taking a sip of it before setting it back down. Gretchen also take a sip, before the X-Chara reminds her Bearer. "Don't you think you should mention why you panicked? That wasn't an ordinary Familiar. It was a pink elephant that felt no need to use a Labyrinth. You thought it was Walpurgisnacht."

    Madoka, again, gets awkward. She then says, "Well... it wasn't. We made sure of that. As hard as we looked, there's no way we could have missed a Witch that doesn't bother hiding. Not to mention the usual weather patterns weren't there."

    Gretchen grumps. "I wish you figured out that last part before we Chara Transformed." All Madoka can do in response to that is sit there and look guilty.

    Madoka frowns at the idea of fighting a Puella Magi. It might happen, you never know, but Madoka would be loathe to take food out of another mahou's mouth. "Maybe I should be grateful, knowing that I can avoid seriously hurting someone if I avoid their Soul Gem. It'd still cost them to get heal, but it's better than the alternative."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    The Charas seem to be able to explain things better themselves, so Homura lets the two speak. From what they're saying Madoka will probably have a better idea about how to work with them. That Madoka's Guardian Characters aren't as simple to use as those of others she's not surprised. Not after seeing how many she has, and seeing Gretchen. The fact that Madoka's potential from past timelines is somehow caught up in her power speaks to the complexity of the situation.

    As conversation turns to the reason for Madoka's panicking Homura watches calmly. The fact that she barely reacts to the knowledge of one of Walpurgisnacht's familiars roaming around shows she isn't especially worried. "I see. It's understandable that you'd be worried that the Witch might be present. Destroying the familiar would be a high priority, but the parade familiars aren't the ones you need to worry about."

    She finishes her tea, setting the cup down in it's saucer before setting her hands in her lap. "The one thing to remember about Walpurgisnacht is that she is not subtle. She likes to show off and cause as much damage as possible. If I were to face her when she showed up to fight I wouldn't even bother targeting the parade familiars; the only threat they are to people is the potential to get stepped on and people are smart enough to get out of their way. Walpurgisnacht's nature might be putting on a show, but I'd almost say it was hubris instead. She doesn't use a Labyrinth and most of her familiars don't do anything other than show off and announce her presence."

    It's a wordy introduction to a very important point. She turns very slightly in her chair and looks at Madoka directly, "On the other hand, if you ever see a Familiar or group of Familiars that look like the night sky in the shape of magical girls, then you know Walpurgisnacht is being serious. The others are only for show, but the magical girl mockeries she makes are serious combatants not to be taken lightly. If you ever see one of those, contact me immediately."

    She frowns slightly, but it doesn't last. "It is strange that one of her familiars would show itself. Perhaps it wandered along the ocean floor until finding land."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    As Homura reacts to the news, Madoka notices how... unconcerned she seems. She remembers thinking, at the time, that it was odd that the elephant was the one to attack. The Chara Bearer takes a sip of her tea as she considers what to say next. "The truth is..." she begins. "That kind of Familiar, the magical girl shaped ones... One of them did show up. It didn't last very long. It was somehow... inside of the elephant or came out of it. I couldn't really make sense of it, but the others finished it off while I was doing damage control."

    The truth of how that Familiar even showed up is something to consider. Where did it come from? "If it were any other Witch's Familiar, I'd assume it just used its Labyrinth to move around like Gretchen does."

    Gretchen interjects with her arms crossed, "Or like most Witches would do, if they aren't being pretentious."

    Lydian, with a tiny teacup in her hands, says, "Is it normal for a Witch's pets to run away from home?" Madoka gives her new Chara a look, and then laughs a little awkwardly. The art Chara gets defensive. "W-what?! Did I say something weird?"

    Waving her hand dismissively, the Bearer explains, "I just... never really thought of it that way. I'm not sure it's right to call them 'pets' though." She takes a moment to contemplate things, and takes a deep breath. "Homura-chan... thanks. I feel reassured, hearing it from you. I think you're the most expert around when it comes to that Witch, so if you don't think she's here yet then I'm not going to worry as much, and..." She reaches out with a single finger to pet the top of Gretchen's head. The X-Chara seems annoyed at first, but she allows it. "... I wont ask you to share your power so carelessly again. We didn't know what the cost would be before, but now we do. If I'm ever backed into a corner again, maybe next time I'll know how to sync up with you a bit better."

    Gretchen lifts her mask again, and turns to look at Madoka, "If you only use me when I'm your actual last hope, things will work out a lot better I think.."

    The pinkette then turns to Homura with a smile and says, "I'm sure I've said this before, but... thank you for looking after Gretchen-chan. I know things are awkward between us, but she's very important to me."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    That gives Homura something to think about. She taps at the console a few times, and pictures of Walpurgisnacht floating in the sky among flying, flaming skyscrapers appear on her wall screen. All the pictures have a two things in common. The first is that they all contain pictures of at least one magical girl mimic familiar, and the second is they're all shot upward to show the cloudy sky rather than the horizon or skyline of the city. None of the floating buildings are particularly distinctive in the images either, but an expert could point out that they're all from the Mitakihara district of Tokyo.

    Well, Madoka was already making it clear Gretchen had told her some very interesting things, so there's likely no harm in her 'figuring out' anything new from the images. "If there were multiple magical girls around I suppose it isn't too surprising it was quickly mopped up. They're very dangerous in numbers when they can gang up an execute flanking maneuvers." A few more images flick onto the screen, these of a few various large elephant familiars. "If the mimic familiar was hiding inside the elephant, that might explain it's presence a bit more. I suspect it was somehow under control of the other familiar, likely as a way to disguise it."

    She looks towards Lydian and nods, "Familiars escaping from their Witches isn't all that uncommon. An escaped familiar that attacks enough people can grow in power, eventually enough so to become a copy of the Witch it originated from." She frowns, shaking her head, "Only, I don't think that'd be possible for a witch of Walpurgisnacht's magnitude. Even if a familiar ate all of Tokyo I'm not sure it'd be enough." She shrugs and makes a motion with one hand, "Maybe it didn't know that itself, though, and it had the instincts to try. Or maybe Walpurgisnacht is becoming even more cunning and is sending out scouts ahead of an attack. I doubt it though, that'd be unprecedented, and wouldn't make sense when what she wants most seems to be to put on a show of destruction."

    She looks mildly awkward as she's thanked, nodding and looking away at first, but then looking Madoka in the eyes. Gratitude is not something she's used to yet. "You're welcome. I'm glad I was able to help, if only in some small way." She then watches the interaction between Madoka and Gretchen. Again she is to respond to thanks, though this time her response is more natural. "I don't mind it. Gretchen is my friend too, in a way. It's strange to have something in common with a Guardian Character, but I can't say I mind it." Looking more directly at the Chara she notes, "You're welcome to stay here some more if you'd like, or spend some time at Madoka-chan's house. I'm not sure which would be better. I'm sure you know what's best for yourself."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka studies the pictures that Homura brings up. They're interesting, but... there's not much that she could conclude from them that she wouldn't know already. The attacks they use, and their pack tactics... all of those are things that Gretchen would be sure that Madoka would be aware of. Planning for the encounter itself might be something that Homura already has figured out, assuming there aren't any unnecessary complications, but Gretchen isn't just trying to stop the Witch. The X-Chara wants to make sure Madoka is among the survivors.

    "Controlling it from within?" asks Madoka, or rather considers out loud. "... that might be the case. It's hard to imagine that the circus animals would get violent on their own.

    On the topic of a Familiar growing into a new Walpurgisnacht, and of how impossible it is, Gretchen comments, "It's for the best. One is bad enough. I'm not sure if 'cunning' is an attribute that can be associated with Witches very often. Even the ones that have surprises or camouflage are likely acting on instinct. Also..." The X-Chara is about to comment, but then looks back at her Chara Bearer. Current company prevents her from saying what she really thinks about a Witch's mind. "... Well, never mind."

    Madoka gives Gretchen a tight frown. She might not be able to tell what secrets are being kept from her, but she still can intuit when a secret is being kept. Especially when it comes to a Chara's utter lack of guile. "Maybe you should keep staying here, since it seems like you can talk more freely with Homura-chan." Coming from someone else that might seem retaliatory, but Madoka really is thinking about how it'd feel for Gretchen to stay in her room and not be able to speak her mind. "... but I never really mind your company, Gretchen-chan."

    The X-Chara considers it, then turns to Homura and states, "I think, when I was sleeping, it was better for me to be around Madoka-chan. There are things that other Chara could do for me that you wouldn't be able to. Now that I'm hatched again, I think it'd be better to travel back and forth. She's not wrong in saying that I can share things with you that... she's better off not knowing." Gretchen looks back at Madoka before adding. "No offense meant to you. The less people who know certain things, the safer it is for everyone else."

    Madoka glances off to the side, and takes a sip of her tea. In part, this is to hide her expression, but also to give her a moment before she has to speak. "I'm starting to see that now. Especially considering recent news."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "It's easy for anyone who learns too much to get reckless and do something rash in order to try and help someone. I've done it myself in the past. You're particularly at risk for that kind of thing because you care so much about others, Madoka. I know it must be hard to hear the same things over and over, but I don't think Gretchen or myself would hide something from you unless we sure it would be better for you in the long run."

    Homura looks over to the wallscreen, eyes focusing sharply on the image of Walpurgisnact. She considers for several moments, looking at Madoka out of the corner of her eye, and then taps a few more times at the console. A new image pops up on the screen. It's at a far distance with Walprugisnact only the size of a quarter against a wide angle cityscape. She taps at the console several more times and various tiny figures appear in the air around the Witch. Then with another tap the image animates. Frontline fighters wipe out Familiars and harry the giant Witch up close, making huge slashing attacks while diving past. Mid ranged mahou pepper the Witch with attacks. Then, far in the back, a group of high powered artillery casters combine their powers into a single massive beam attack that slashes through Walpurgisnacht's core until daylight can be seen coming out the other side. The edges of the Witch seem to burn away, coming apart at the edges and falling away as ash before disappearing completely.

    It's all... very strange. The only person that can be made out is Homura, holding a machine gun and aiding in the mid-ranged combat. Everyone else is oddly distorted. There's a reason for that; it's not a real video, but a hastily assembled AI animation created by training it on numerous other videos. It's janky enough that the specifics don't line up. Walpurgisnacht's destruction, on the other hand, is relatively clear. It's almost as if this this was assembled from footage from multiple actual fights. Which, of course, it was. But there's enough fuzziness and discrepancies that it could just as easily have been constructed wholecloth from fights that didn't involve Walpurgisnacht at all.

    "That's the enemy, and that's one possible strategy to defeating her. You don't have to be reckless. Unless we collectively make a large number of mistakes I have every confidence we'll win this fight when it comes. I'm showing you this so your mind can trust me as much as your heart already does. I've gamed this fight out more times than I can count, again and again and again. I have strategies for every possible entry point, including a possible atmospheric re-entry directly into the center of Tokyo, as unlikely as that possibility is. With Gretchen's help I can refine my strategies and come up with more contingencies in case Obsidian or other dark forces interfere. Before you get worried, they're actually more likely to interfere *with* us than against us; Tokyo's destruction doesn't help them in the slightest."

    She lets the animation loop. Each time it's subtly different; the colors of the magical girls shifts, the weapons and styles they use seems to change. Rather than a loop, it's a new iteration of the last, though always in the same place and using the same strategy.

    "When I say it would be better in the long run I mean in every way I can conceive. I know you won't be happy unless you're helping people, so if I'm holding information from you I also think you'll help other's more in the long term if you don't know just yet. It's still unfair to you, I understand. I don't like using Kyubey's tactics. That's why I'm telling you I'm keeping things from you. I don't think I'll need to keep them much longer, but there are still a few things I want you to be prepared for before you hear them. It'd be best if you had a change to rest and destress first, for one thing."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka listens as Gretchen and Homura explain why they keep things from her. From anyone else, and to anyone else, the explanation might be annoying. Yet Madoka also knows that Gretchen is a part of her, which means... "Some part of me must agree with you, Homura-chan..."

    The X-Chara waves her tiny arms and interjects, "Hii, it's me, the part of you that agrees with her!"

    Madoka gives Gretchen a bemused grin, as if she's holding back on referring to her X-Chara as a jerk (affectionate). "It's just weird. I'm not used to this sort of... spy intel game. I'm about as bad of a liar as Gretchen is, so it's okay if I don't know. For now."

    The screen comes to life, and Madoka turns her gaze to look at it. It's like an image from her dreams, but also different. Once in a while she thinks she sees some aspect of the AI-generated mahou that she recognizes. Fragments of forgotten friends. In a way, the video is almost reassuring. In her dreams this is an image of terror, where she feels the heat of the flames, the rage of the winds, and the cacophony of a hundred attacks all going off at once. Here, though, it's different. Cold and calculated. A problem with a solution.

    There really is no substitution for collective experience. Madoka has memories of making the same mistakes over and over, being unable to learn from them because she wont carry those memories into the next timeline, but Homura has been able to learn from her errors and improve upon her strategy. This is the gap between them, realizes Madoka. This is what Gretchen really means when she talks about 'doing your best'.

    Gretchen is also watching the video and considering the proposed strategy. Of course, she's seen it work before. She remembers it working, or at least versions like it. Lydian meanwhile is trying to make visual sense of the AI-generated picture, noting the small errors and discrepancies, and starts frowning at it.

    "I guess Obsidian doesn't want to lose their home, either," is the way that Madoka phrases it.

    "Or their hunting grounds," chimes in Gretchen.

    Hearing Homura's explanation, Madoka takes another sip of her tea before responding. "I understand, and it's okay. I have to do that too, with my own family. I guess Gretchen is the same way... she tells me she's keeping secrets, but she still keeps them."

    The tiny X-Chara puts her hands on her little hips and says, "Well, of course. It'd be dangerous if you thought you knew everything and did something drastic on accident. Better for you to be a little cautious."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    The little animated demonstration is shut off after everyone gets a few moments to see it. Before it plays enough times that certain aspects might be able to be more recognizable. Before any peeping eyes from behind a couch they hadn't noticed can piece together how the image was actually made.

    "I wish it wasn't necessary, but I learned quickly that telling everyone the truth doesn't work and is a bad idea. Most have no particular reason to believe me over anyone else and it much easier to live in a world where you think Kyubey has told you everything you need to know about being a Puella Magi." After a short moment of thought she explains further by noting, "I already told you how the knowledge you recently learned might be useful to you. That same information would be useful to Obsidian. It isn't just other Puella Magi we need to be careful about. The more people that know the secrets of Puella Magi, the more danger we're all collectively in. Hopefully there weren't too many other's around that learned about our Soul Gems when you did."

    Homura sighs then, "I should probably stop trying to convince you. You already seem to understand well enough. I'm not used to this, to being more open. I'm not very good at it yet. I hope to be, in time, now that it's more and more likely to be helpful rather than a hindrance. Thank you, Madoka, for coming and speaking with me."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka hasn't forgotten about Kyubey, or the potential of him listening in. It's awkward to talk to Homura like this, to allude to things rather than say them out loud. To hope that the other catches your drift without needing things spelled out for them. Maybe it says something about their compatibility that they can even do this at all.

    Instead of continuing to say that she understands, Madoka just says, "It must be really lonely for you. To know these things and not be able to share them with anyone, and to work so hard for people who don't even know what you're doing. That alone would create distance between you and everyone else." After a moment's pause, she adds, "Maybe that's why I don't mind it if Gretchen-chan wants to spend time with you. I wouldn't want to do anything to isolate you further. Especially not from someone who seems to understand you."

    Gretchen gets quiet in response to that.

    When thanked, Madoka smiles. It's a soft, almost sad smile. Then she shakes her head. "I'm glad that I did. I always feel reassured around you, like you've got everything under control. I really don't mind being kept in the dark, but I hate worrying about problems that I don't have the answer to. So... thank you, for showing me what you did."

    Is there a chance that someone might pick up on the subtext of this conversation? Possibly. Madoka wouldn't know how such things work, so it's better to say as little as possible. She takes one more sip of her tea, and starts gathering Brai's and Medo's eggs, as well as the two halves of Lydian's. Gretchen's, she leaves on the table. "I've always liked braids, but.. I also like the kind of hair you have now. Very pretty, and a bit wild in some ways yet still controlled. It suits you, Homura-chan."

    She places the eggs into their storage space in her school bag, and starts to stand up. Lydian hovers over her shoulder, and Gretchen stays floating over the console. Madoka's soft smile is aimed directly at Homura. "In some ways, you're still just as shy as the day I first met you. I always thought that was cute."

    She fishes in her bag for her phone, and looks at the time. "I should probably go. They're waiting for me at the hospital. Maybe I'll take your advice about going easy on myself. Thank you for the tea, Homura-chan."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "It is in some ways," Homura replies about loneliness, "but it's a lot less so than it used to be, before I realized the benefits of finding people I could work alongside. Having someone that understands helps. Both in Gretchen and you, Madoka." Rather than giving another 'you're welcome' to the thanks she simply nods this time.

    Then when Madoka brings up braids it seems to catch her off guard, and her purple eyes blink a few times. "Oh, well, thanks." She shifts somewhat nervously. What should she do when Madoka calls her shy? Especially when things that are being eluded to are ancient history to her, and not things she sees in any kind of positive light anymore. It can't be that bad if Madoka is complimenting her, but to Homura the girl that wore glasses and braids was someone weak that was always reacting instead of acting, and didn't have control of her life. It might be strange, to actually ask Madoka how she sees things.

    Right now, though, she can't. It isn't time yet to come completely clean, even if Madoka seems to know much of the story already.

    She gets up from her seat and walks to the door as Madoka gathers her things, unlocking the door and holding it open. "Any time, Madoka-chan. I'm glad to have you over." Then, after the pink haired girl has gone and she's shut the door she looks over to Gretchen and sighs, "You told her about the braids..?"